Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission

The preliminary evidentiary hearing addressed the underlying legal authority for the two-day suspension imposed on the appellant. The parties stipulated that the Board would determine this question before addressing the substantive issues surrounding the suspension. The appellant, an employee of the Board of Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education, was suspended without pay for two days. The director's involvement in the suspension was sufficient to satisfy the requirement that the appointing authority exercise the power of temporary removal.

The appeal involves personnel actions across three agencies. It addresses the motion to dismiss the appeal concerning the University of Wisconsin System due to jurisdictional issues. The appellant's application for Director of Plant Services at the University Medical Center, a classified academic staff position, is central to the discussion. The legal conclusions focus on whether the Personnel Board has jurisdiction over the selection process for academic staff positions and whether the Director of the Bureau of Personnel's decisions are involved.

The appeal of Albert W. Harriman was discussed, focusing on the reclassification of his position. The board reviewed the Bureau of Personnel's decision and considered evidence related to Harriman's expertise and the comparability of his position to others. The board ultimately decided not to reverse the Bureau's decision, finding no evidence of arbitrary or bad-faith actions.